


Picture Perfect

by ScarletWinter2478



Category: Sebastian Stan - Fandom
Genre: F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-06
Updated: 2017-07-06
Packaged: 2018-11-28 14:43:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 18,944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11420157
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScarletWinter2478/pseuds/ScarletWinter2478
Summary: When Sebastian Stan meets Jessie Fender, he likes her immediately.  She is funny, quirky and says what she thinks, and right away, he wants to take care of her.   Jessie Fender is a struggling photographer, working as a secretary to make ends meet.  When Sebastian walks into her life, she is overwhelmed by his kindness and the fact that he even chooses to spend a minute of his time with her. She is not accustomed to being treated so kindly and isn't really comfortable with it.   Their relationship grows from one of friendship to something that is so much more.





	1. Not Your Typical Day

**Author's Note:**

> When I started this story, it was only going to be a quick little one shot kind of thing. But I enjoyed writing about these two and their interactions so much, it grew to be more than I expected. In fact, as you read, you might catch a phrase or two that could develop into a sequel. So if you enjoy Sebastian and Jessie, please comment. Clearly, this romance is just getting started! Thank you so much for reading!!

 

Sebastian stood in the coffee shop, peering through the plate glass window as he sipped from his cup, eyes focused across the street. There were several groups of women, girls, whatever, gathered in little pockets with a shared focus; him. He loved his fans. He really did. But sometimes, sometimes he wished for a few hours of anonymity. He was trying to wait them out, but knew that it was likely a losing battle. He did notice however, that one of the women, the one who had piqued his interest the moment he spotted her, seemed much more interested in the buildings and happenings going on around her.

She spoke to one of the others in her little group and looking in his direction, she lifted her camera, focused and fiddled with it just a bit and snapped a few pictures. She showed them to her friends, who seemed quite pleased and shaking her head, she walked off, apparently having better things to do! He laughed out loud, making a few of the other customers turn to look at him curiously.

The shop owner motioned to Sebastian and just a few minutes later, he was on the street a few blocks away, having left the shop by a back exit. Taking another sip of his coffee, he turned to take a peek inside a bookstore and smiled. The woman with the camera was inside, browsing in the "photography" section... at least she was consistent. He stepped inside, dropping his empty cup into the trash and waving to the manager, just to give her a heads up that he was there.

Looking around, he spotted his little photographer sitting on one of the reading benches, flipping through a large coffee table book. He grabbed the first book he came to and walked over to sit next to her. He watched her as she slowly turned the page, and then flipped back to the previous page. She stood to pull her phone from her pocket, bumping his arm with her elbow. "Oh... sorry," she mumbled, never taking her eyes from the book.

Sebastian smiled at the top of her head, assuring her he was ok as she lay the book on the bench where she had been sitting and opening it wide, she used her phone camera to snap pictures of a couple of pages in the book. When she sat back down, she checked to see if she could 'read' the photos she had just taken. Clearing his throat, Seb asked "Isn't that some kind of copyright infringement? Or something?" Finally, he had her attention. Turning to face him she was: a) surprised when she recognized him, b) slightly embarrassed that she had been caught and c) even more surprised that he had called her on it.

"Are you going to turn me in? Mr.____?" she pretended not to know who he was.

"Stan. Sebastian Stan," he replied in his best James Bond voice. "I've always wanted to say that!" he smiled brightly, offering his hand, which she accepted smiling back.

"Hi Sebastian Stan. I'm Jessie Fender. No relation to the guitar maker."

Sebastian smiled even wider, "Hellooooo Jessie Fender."

"So, are you going to report me to ... whoever it is who really cares about those kinds of things? Because, if you DO... I might be forced to share with everyone that you are reading "Birthing Babies", she smiled at him sweetly.

He laughed as he looked at the book he was holding then put it down saying "No. Of course not... but I am interested in seeing some of your pictures. I noticed you in front of the coffee shop, and you seemed to be really searching for that perfect shot. And apparently it wasn't me," he added playfully.

Jessie giggled which made Sebastian giggle which made Jessie laugh harder. Finally, she told him, "I'm sorry. I meant no offense. And, uh, your secret interest in becoming a mid-wife is safe with me," she winked at him, knowing full well he had no interest in that book.

"Could I see some of your pictures?" he asked as he cocked his head slightly with the sweetest expression on his face.

She was normally very picky about whom she shared her work with, but he seemed so sweet and genuinely interested; so she grabbed her camera from the case, turned it on and located the shots of him. He placed his arm around her and leaned his head in closer so he could see better, as she flipped through them. She knew if she had allowed herself to stop and THINK about who he was, and how close he was and the fact that he was actually talking to her and looking at her photos, she would have passed out, so she just focused on the camera and what she was doing.

"These are really great!" he said happily. "May I see more? I mean some of your other pictures?"

Looking genuinely surprised, Jessie nodded and scrolled through several shots she had snapped around town. He 'oooohed' and 'ahhhhhed' and made her feel really good, if a little embarrassed.

"Do you do this for a living or something?" he asked her, his face so close she could smell the amazing scent of him; count the tiny little creases around his stunning blue eyes. She really, really wanted to touch the stubble on his face.

She nodded and then answered, "Well, yes, sort of. I just started working as a part-time photo-journalist with "In-Focus" magazine. I'm really still learning the ins and outs of being a 'professional', but photography has been my passion for a long time. My 'real job' is working in the secretarial pool at Finz & Finz law firm over on Wall Street. Not terribly exciting," she sighed and suddenly realized she was spilling her life story to a complete stranger, which was NOT cool, even IF half the female population of the world was madly in love with him.

Sebastian was still so very close, his arm around her waist. Jessie mentally berated herself for being such a silly goose, as her heart was beating just a little faster than usual while her breathing was becoming shallow. "Go ahead," she scolded, "Pass out. That will make a good impression on everyone." Drawing her eyes away from his, she reached down and picked up her bag, gently putting the camera safely away. It had cost her a small fortune, at least on her budget it seemed that way and she treated it like a baby.

Looking back at Sebastian she smiled again and said, "Well, Stan, Sebastian Stan, it has been a pleasure to meet you and visit for a while. I'm sure you have more pressing things to do than to hear about my boring life. And I really should head home. I have a lot of things I need to do there."

"Really?" he asked, honestly disappointed to see her go. "I was hoping we could spend a little time together. I've always wanted to know how to take a decent picture..."

Jessie laughed, shaking her head. "I've seen some of your work on Instagram. I think you do just fine,' she stood and picked up her belongings.

"Well then," Sebastian was not going to give up, "Are you busy later? Maybe we could have some dinner... or coffee and dessert?"

She looked at him with a gleam in her eyes, "Don't tell anyone, but I hate coffee. Never drink the stuff."

Sebastian grabbed his chest as if he had been wounded there. "You... you don't drink coffee?" Jessie shook her head no. "Really?? You aren't just trying to get rid of me, are you?" he was honestly surprised.

"No. I really do not drink coffee. Not hot. Not cold. Not ever."

Sebastian bit his lower lip and said, "Well, I won't hold that against you, if you'll have dinner with me."

He had taken her hand in his and was standing so close she had to lean her head back to look into his eyes. "Yeah, okay. I mean, that would be lovely. Just... no place fancy, please? I'll be nervous enough without worrying about which fork to use."

Sebastian threw his head back and laughed out loud, causing the many onlookers to wonder just who the blonde talking with the Sebastian Stan was. He certainly seemed to be enjoying himself.

"Okay," he promised her. "Do you like pizza? Please tell me you like pizza..." He looked at her with a hysterically desperate expression. Nodding, and fighting back her laughter, Jessie assured him that she did indeed like pizza.

"Alright then. All I need is your number and some idea of where you live so I can pick you up.... Around 8:00? Will that work for you?"

Shaking her head like she couldn't believe she was actually doing this, Jessie pulled a small card and a pen from a side compartment of her camera bag. It was her very own business card, promoting her position at In-Focus magazine and she turned it over and wrote her personal info on the back of it. Handing it to Sebastian she grinned saying, "I just got these. You're my first."

He raised his brows and with and with a sly smile he said, "Well then, I'm going to frame this...because one day, YOU are going to be famous."

Jessie laughed, "Right. And one day I'll grow coffee beans so I can grind fresh coffee every morning."

"That sounds like a great idea... I can come over and taste test it for you cuz, you know, I'm helpful like that," he offered playfully as they both laughed and walked to the front of the store together and then stepped outside, where a bevy of adoring fans waited for Seb. He greeted them in his usual friendly manner as Jessie slipped behind the crowd and went on her way. She didn't believe what had just happened or that she was going out for pizza with Sebastian Stan. She only had six hours to decide what to wear!! She had better get started!


	2. Let Me Count the Ways ... to the Hummingbird Cake

 

On her way home, Jessie stopped in at one of her favorite 2nd hand "retro" clothes shops. After a quick run thru, picking up various items as she explored the aisles, she tried on her findings. They may only be going out for pizza – but after all, it was Sebastian Stan and she didn't intend to look like a total loser! It didn't take her long to put together the perfect outfit; a black mini-skirt, black tube top that only left about 2 inches of bare skin between it and the top of the skirt, and to set it off, a gorgeous wispy white blouse with long sleeves and tail that she could tie loosely at her waist. And she got it all for under $30 bucks... today was her lucky day!

She started to stop at another store and pick up some of those nylons with the seam-line up the back, she had read somewhere that Sebastian thought those were sexy, but decided against it. She wanted to be comfortable and heels and nylons were not a part of that formula in her book. Her shopping complete, she went home to figure out what to do with her hair and maybe take a short nap (if she could force herself to do it) because she was not used to starting her evening that late. She was an early riser, so she was pretty much a home body and usually in bed by 10:30 or 11:00.  
  


Sebastian stayed busy all afternoon, even stopping by Drive 495 for a good workout with Don and the gang. Afterwards he stopped for coffee (again) and (again) he was cornered by several fans that he signed autographs for and took selfies with and was an all around adorable dork. Back at his apartment he took a long hot shower; splashed on some cologne and dressed for his date, looking extremely confident and sexy in a pair of skin tight jeans and a black button down shirt with long sleeves that he pushed up over his elbows. He was looking forward to seeing Jessie again. She was a little quirky, and he liked that!  
  


Jessie woke from her nap on the couch with a start. It was a quarter after seven and immediately she panicked. What the hell made her agree to go out with him!! There was just no way she could do it. People would be looking at them and gossiping and probably sneaking pictures to splash all over every rag magazine and social media site in the world! She was used to being behind the camera, but hated having her own picture taken. She decided the best thing to do would be to call Sebastian and cancel. She could tell him she wasn't feeling well, which wasn't that far from true. And then it hit her. He took her phone number, but she didn't have his. Looking at the clock again, she moaned and ran to her bedroom to get dressed, piling her hair up on top of her head in a somewhat messy array; which actually looked quite nice and then she dabbed on just a little make-up. She finished off with a spritz or two of her favorite perfume and as she was pulling on her black Keds, the doorbell rang. He was early!  
  


Taking a couple of deep breaths, she pulled the door open and was greeted by his handsome, smiling face, peeking around a huge bouquet of spring flowers. Stepping back to let him in, she reached out to take the flowers saying, "Wow!! Sebastian, these are beautiful! I assume they are for me??"

He giggled and looked at the little card that the florists always stick in their arrangements and he nodded, "Yep, looks like they ARE for you... from some guy named," and together, they both said, "Stan. Sebastian Stan." He laughed again and she smiled brightly at him, feeling just a little better already.

"Let's get these in some water..." Jessie was in the kitchen of her small apartment and started rummaging through the cabinets. "hmmmm... I don't have anything... oh wait..." she pulled a chair over so she could reach a higher shelf, pulling down a pretty pressed glass pitcher to use as a vase. Turning around, she saw the expression on Sebastian's face and then whispered a soft "Ooops!" She had forgotten how short her skirt was and he was apparently enjoying the view.

He blushed, having been caught staring and offered his hand, "Let me help you down."

"Thank you," she said softly, embarrassed for both of them. She ran some water into the pitcher and arranged the flowers in it, thanking him again for the thoughtful gift and kissing him on the cheek.

"You're welcome... they are pretty, but they don't hold a candle to you." Sebastian was smiling at her, his eyes twinkling. "I don't know if men are supposed to use this word or not, but you look absolutely ADORABLE!"

Jessie bit her lip, and starting to say something, when he added, "Adorable and sexy as hell... how does that happen at the same time?"

She laughed and said, "You tell me. You seem to pull it off all the time." She regretted the words as soon as they were out of her mouth. She didn't want him to think she was some kind of fan girl who spent hours each day online, ogling pictures of him. She DID see him on Instagram a lot, but she wasn't ogling...was she?

He smiled and shook his head, letting her comment pass. Looking around he noticed several 5 x 7 photos stacked on a small table that sat in front of her couch. "May I?" he asked as reached to pick them up. Jessie nodded as she moved to stand beside him, then they sat together on the couch. Sebastian studied each photo as he shuffled slowly through them. When he had gone through them all, he told her, "These are really good. Your shots have such a unique 'feel' about them. I don't see any shots of people, one on one. Do you do portraits as well?"

"I used to... but it can be really difficult to capture the look that individuals want to see in their photos. Inanimate objects just lay it out there and it is what it is. Or how I make it seem."

He was smiling softly at her. He could tell that she really loved her "hobby turned part time job" as a photographer. "Would you consider doing some of me? I mean... I've had a billion photos taken, but they all are basically the same. I would really like to have a few that are less, 'publicity' oriented and more that are just me being me or, you know, something different."

"Oh." Jessie was flabbergasted that he thought she was good enough to do a "photo shoot" for him. "Well, I don't know. Maybe, I guess. Someday."

He grinned, "Okay... that sounds less than promising. You think about it and we'll work out a time and place later. Okay? Please?"

Jessie nodded and said, "I'll think about it."

Sebastian stood and grabbed her hand, pulling her up from the couch, and asked "Are you ready for the best pizza you ever ate?"

"Yes, I am. And I'll be the judge of whether or not it's all that!"

Walking hand in hand to the elevator they laughed and joked all the way down and out to the car.  
  
  


It didn't take long to reach Sebastian's favorite pizza place and even though it was packed, the hostess managed to find a small booth for them right away. Sebastian waved at several people and said hello to a few others, but he kept his hand on the small of Jessie's back as they kept walking to where they would be sitting.

He was right, the pizza was delicious and why was she not surprised to see there was a karaoke stage set up on the far end of the restaurant. He kept the conversation flowing and it was a good thing, because suddenly Jessie couldn't think of a thing to say, not usually a problem for her. She was eyeballing the stage when out of the blue Sebastian asked, "What are you thinking about?"

"Honestly? I was wondering who invented that thing and if he or she got rich off it, or sold the rights to someone else who got rich off of someone else's ingenuity."

Sebastian was giving her a squinty-eyed look as he shook his head, "Bullshit! That is not what you were thinking about." He was right of course. She had been thinking about how freaking hot he looked in those tight ass jeans and that shirt that was straining with the effort to contain his broad, muscled chest and those arms that she was only getting a glimpse of from the elbow down. She was actually wondering what it would feel like to have them wrapped around her when he called her on it.

"Can you prove otherwise?" She squinted right back at him. He had to concede that he could not prove it and smirking at him she said, "Then that's my story and I'm sticking to it!"

Grabbing her hand Sebastian asked, "Do you want to give it a try?"

Jessie flicked her tongue out to moisten her lips and asked, "Are we still talking about Karaoke?"

Sebastian nearly choked on thin air as he laughed at her response.

"What?" she asked innocently. "I'm having a difficult time keeping up with you."

He still held her hand as he leaned in closer to her. "Can I ask you something?"

She searched his eyes then answered, "You can ask me anything you want to, but I claim no moral or legal obligation to answer. So... ask away."

He studied her face, "Do you have a boyfriend?"

Not what she expected... "No. I do not have a boyfriend."

"Why not?" he asked her, cocking his head to the side.

Again, not what she expected... "Well, let me count the ways: I've been told that I am too busy, too picky, too inquisitive and indifferent...by the same ex, too fussy, too smart" she shrugged and gave him the so-so hand gesture, "too serious about my work, too quiet, too opinionated and too high maintenance.. I'm sure there were a few others, and that last one MIGHT actually be true, but yeah, apparently I am just too, too. So I threw in the towel."

"Wait...what do you mean? You just stopped dating!?"

Jessie nodded, leaning her head back and 'counting' on her fingers as if she was working out a difficult math calculation. "A little over five months since my last dating debacle." She was trying very hard to not laugh at the expression on his face.

"Are you telling me that I am your first date in FIVE months?"

She nodded and shrugged her shoulders saying, "Yes, and strangely enough, the world did not come to an end. Imagine that!"

He leaned in even closer, staring into her eyes he asked "Do you want to know what I think?"

He was so close now that Jessie was having a difficult time concentrating. "Yes, do tell," were the only words she could get out.

"I think those guys were too lame to be with you. In fact, I'm sure of it. I think you are too sweet, too honest, too beautiful, too talented, too adorable and too damn sexy for any of them. That's what I think."

"Oh..." she was blushing at his words. "I like that spin on it. Thank you!"

"So, what made you say yes to me?" he wondered aloud with a curious look on his face.

"Seriously? Well first of all, you are Sebastian Stan, and that makes you kind of special, ya know? And second, you liked my pictures, and that makes you even more special, to me anyway. And... did I mention, I really like your smile." She grinned shyly, not sure she should have admitted that.

Sebastian got an odd look on his face and said, "Oh my God... Five months and pizza is the best I can do??" He actually sounded disappointed.

"Sebastian... I didn't want anything fancy, remember? And this is fine. This is good. This is my comfort zone, right here. Well, except for the whole karaoke thing, I could live without that..."

"c'mon" he said, pulling her up from the table.

"What?" Jessie was afraid she had upset him.  
  


Sebastian whispered in her ear, "Trust me," as he led her out of the restaurant to his car. While they walked through the parking lot, Jessie couldn't get the smell of his cologne and the tickle of his hot breath in her ear out of her mind. He wouldn't tell her where they were going, so she sat back and enjoyed watching the 'show' as Sebastian sang along loudly with the music blasting from the radio. They arrived at one of the finer hotels and Jessie's heart leaped in her chest. She looked at him curiously and again he said, "Trust me." Inside, they headed to one of three restaurants located there, and since it was so late, they were able to get right in and were seated at a table that was tucked in a secluded corner next to a window with an amazing view.  
  


Once they were settled in, Sebastian asked the waiter if they could see the desserts. He said "Of course Mr. Stan" and disappeared, only to return with a cart, loaded with a huge variety of amazing looking pies, tarts, cookies, cakes, ice creams and every other kind of treat she could think of.

"Oh my!" Jessie was astonished by all the choices and pointing at one of the cakes, she asked, "What is this?"

"Hummingbird cake Miss. A very popular choice." She nodded at him and then turned her attention to a wickedly delicious looking chocolate concoction and groaned with appreciation.

Looking at Sebastian she said, "I can't decide. It all looks so wonderful."

He grinned and asked the waiter to bring one 'death by chocolate' and one slice of the 'hummingbird cake' with two glasses of Perrier. "We can both have some of each," he winked at Jessie.

Nodding in agreement, she looked around the beautiful restaurant with all the crystal chandeliers and lovely murals and astonishing fresh floral bouquets generously spread around the entire room. She gave Sebastian a look that clearly showed her delight and he smiled to himself, happy that his last minute surprise appeared to be a success.  
  


When their plates arrived they dove in and didn't talk for several minutes as they savored the delicious treats, each of them eating from both plates and giggling like school kids. Jessie stopped to take a sip of water and almost choked when she noticed an extremely handsome man sitting a few tables over from them, he had a very familiar face. She couldn't remember his name, but she knew she had seen the guy in several different movies over the past couple of years. As a matter of fact, on closer inspection, she thought she recognized a handful of people scattered around the restaurant. This was certainly a night to remember!

Sebastian was watching her as she scoped out the room, and when she set her water down and looked in his direction, he grinned widely then asked, "I'm not going to have lay the smack down on some poor guy, am I?"

"What? Oh, no! Of course not. I was just... looking!"

He held her eyes for along moment, then he put his hand to her face and pulling her near he whispered, "I'm going to kiss you now."

Jessie accepted his kiss, and even with the whirlwind of thoughts in her mind, time stopped for a moment as her lips parted under his gentle persuasion and their tongues touched briefly, sending a flash of desire through her whole body.

Sebastian pulled away, his smile smug and cute and satisfied all at the same time as Jessie's eyes opened wide and she squeaked out an "Oh!"

She couldn't stop the blush that spread across her cheeks and he grinned at her, "You are so adorable!!" Not sure what to say she added, "And sexy, right?" He nodded his head, eyes twinkling, "Sexy as hell!"

They both laughed and finished their desserts before leaving.

 

When they arrived back at Jessie's apartment, Sebastian followed her in and looked around to make sure everything seemed okay, just the way her dad used to do when he took her mom home from a date. She had loved to listen to her mom tell stories of her romance with her dad. And knowing those little details made this moment with Seb seem even more special.  
  


"Thank you Stan, Sebastian Stan, for a lovely evening."

"Best one you've had in months, I bet," he teased her.

Nodding in agreement, she wished she didn't have to get up in just a few hours to go to work, but she DID, so she stood by the door, hoping he would get the hint, which he did.

"I'll let you get some rest. Thank you Jessie. It was a very good day, all the way around. I think we should do it again, sometime soon, what do you think?"

OH MY GOD!! She could not believe that Sebastian Stan was suggesting they go on a SECOND date!! Her insides were doing a happy dance and her butterflies were singing hallelujah in her stomach!

She hoped her calm reply of "Yes, I would like that, very much," did not betray how excited that she really was.

With a move as smooth as butter, Sebastian pulled her into his arms and kissed her again, this time, there was little more tongue and a lot more heat, and he winked as he said, "I'll call you. Good night Jessie."

She whispered "Good night Sebastian," as she watched him walk down the hall to the elevator. He turned and saw her standing there; she waved as the elevator door opened and he gave her a two fingered saluted as he stepped into it.  
  


Jessie closed and locked her door; walked over to the couch and picked up a pillow, squealing into at the top of her lungs, and then with a sigh and a smile, she headed off to get ready for bed.


	3. A Night to Remember?

 

Jessie checked her phone again to see if she had somehow missed a call or text from Sebastian. She knew she was being ridiculous; he probably hadn't given her another thought since their date two nights ago... Yes. She WAS being ridiculous and she didn't have time to waste, sitting around mooning over a man who didn't care enough to even call like he said he would.  Her 'part-time' job with the magazine was taking up much more time than she had imagined that it would, and she really needed to focus on putting the finishing touches on her first real assignment. Sighing deeply, she looked around her apartment, wishing she was anyplace else. "It's too quiet" she mumbled to the room around her. She had always done her homework in school with music in the background. Getting up from the table, she walked to the kitchen counter and turned the radio on, searching until she found just the right music to get her motivated; then she cranked it up far louder than she would normally do.  
  


Sebastian had intended to call Jessie right away, but it seemed that something always came up and he had allowed two whole days slip by; almost three if you counted today, which he figured Jessie probably had...women we were like that. As soon as he was free, late that afternoon, he headed over to Jessie's apartment, stopping to buy one red rose on his way there. He stepped off the rickety elevator and as he approached her door, he could hear music coming from her apartment. He stared to use the doorbell, but remembered from the last time he was there that it didn't work, so he knocked instead, quite hard. When there was no answer, he started to knock again, but instead he tried the door knob, which to his dismay, actually turned easily in his hand.  
  


Opening the door, he was hit in the face by the sounds of Nickelback's 'Burn it to the Ground', rattling the windows and bouncing off the walls. He saw Jessie sitting with her back to him, photos and papers spread out on the table in front of her. He wasn't sure what she was supposed to be doing, but clearly, most of her attention was on the music as she pounded out the beat on imaginary drums. Taking a few steps toward her, he called out her name, "Jessie?"

She didn't even look in his direction.

Taking a few more steps, she must have caught his movement in her peripheral vision; she jumped up grabbing a baseball bat that was leaning on the empty chair next to her. She turned and was mid-swing before she realized it was him.

"Oh damn!" Sebastian yelped, lifting his hands in surrender, "Don't shoot!!"

It took Jessie a couple of seconds to comprehend what had almost happened. She dropped the bat and took the final few steps that separated them, grabbing his arm, she yelled, "Oh my god!!! Are you okay? You scared the shit out of me!"

"I scared YOU?? I saw my life flashing before my eyes!" Sebastian yelled back.

Jessie turned the radio down and tried not to, but she couldn't hold back the laughter that had bubbled up in her throat.

Loving the sound of it, he smiled as she kept giggling. "Oh... you think that's funny, do you?"

Jessie was shaking her head no, even while she kept right on laughing. He gave her one of those 'round eyed' looks of his and she tried to speak.

"Sebastian, I'm so sorry... (giggle giggle)... I wasn't expecting you... (giggle giggle)... 'Don't shoot'!!"and she burst into full on laughter again.

Sebastian stood there watching her, checking his watch every couple of seconds, making her laugh even harder.

Finally composing herself as best she could, she asked him, "So, what brings you here?"

He was thinking about how good she looked, hair pulled up in a pony tail that swung back and forth as she moved...her cheeks still flush with a soft pink glow from her fit of laughter, her lips begging to be kissed...

"Sebastian?"

"huh? Oh, I'm sorry. I know I should have called, I meant to call, but things get so crazy sometimes..."

Jessie nodded and suddenly remembered her manners, asking "Can I get you something? Water? Tea? ... I don't have coffee..."

Sebastian shook his head, "No, thank you. I really just wanted to stop by for a minute to apologize for not calling and to give you this," he handed her the rose, which she accepted with a curtsy, making him grin. "And I was hoping that you were free tonight, but from what I can see," he nodded at the table, "you appear to be pretty busy, huh?"

Somehow, the sound of disappointment in his voice made Jessie feel good all over. "Yeah... sorry. I'm pretty much a bust for tonight. I'm struggling to finish my first official thing for the magazine."

Sebastian looked at the photos spread on the table, a soft smile touching his lips. "These are amazing," he said matter-of-factly. "What else could they want?"

"Well, if you recall, my job title is photo-journalist. I'm good with the photo part, but it's the journalist part that's got me knotted up. I've never been very good at captions. I either don't give enough info or I ramble on with more than I need. I've always felt that the story I want to tell can be seen in my work. If your pictures don't tell a story, then why take them in the first place?"

He had never thought of it that way, and he could hear the frustration in her voice.

"Uh... I could try and help if you like. I'm pretty good with words" he offered.

Jessie smiled appreciatively and shook her head, "Sebastian that is incredibly sweet of you. But this is my JOB, and I need to be the one to do it. I won't always have you here to help me out."

Sighing, he realized that he should go. Every minute he stayed took time that she needed to finish her work.

"Okay. I'll get out of your way." He didn't want to go. Now that he was with her again, he was reminded of just how much he had enjoyed their first date. "How about Friday?"

"Friday?" Jessie's mind was already focusing back on the task that waited for her on the table.

Sebastian placed his hands on either side of her waist and looked in her eyes, "Will you go out with me on Friday?"

He had her full attention now, sort of. She was suddenly very warm and thought she might actually swoon. _Swoon...did people still do that?_ The feel of his hands on her; the sound of his voice; those intense blue eyes...

"Friday?" she asked again.

Biting his tongue, he nodded and said, "Yes. The day after tomorrow. Friday. Would you like to hang out with me?"

Coming to her senses, Jessie said almost too loudly, "Sure!! Yes! I would love to... hang out with you... on Friday," her voice tapering off as she finished with a bright smile.

Sebastian knew she had a lot on her mind... he knew that sometimes people, women in particular, acted a little strange in his presence. But this, this was ... ADORABLE! Damn it! He said, "Okay then. I'll just pick you up around 7:00. Will that work?"

Jessie nodded, "Yes... that will absolutely work. Thank you. I mean, I'll be looking forward to it."

"Good, me too." he started turning to walk to the door and she followed behind, a little too closely. When he stopped to look back at her, she body slammed him right there in front of God and everybody.

"Oh my lord!!" she cried out, "I am so sorry! Sebastian..." she shook her head, clearly embarrassed. "I don't know what is wrong with me... I'm sorry." She had backed away from him and he moved to stand close to her. She looked at him saying, "Maybe you should go, before I really hurt you... I mean..." she couldn't finish her thought as he pulled her into his arms, then kissed her, long, hard, deep... yeah... he kissed her so good her toes curled, looked in her eyes and said, "I'll call you. Now get to work."

All she could do was nod as he opened the door, looking back at her to say "Lock this."

She smiled, saying "k" as he pulled the door shut. Jessie stood there for several minutes, playing it over and over in her mind. Everything she said, everything he said, and every stupid way she made a fool of herself. She didn't know if she should laugh or cry, so she pulled herself together, grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and got back to work.

On the other side of the door, Sebastian was wearing a broad grin. As he waited for the elevator, he was thinking about that kiss. About how sweet it felt to hold her in his arms; the scent of her perfume; the way she blushed over every little thing. He couldn't wait for Friday and wondered what he could do to keep that beautiful smile on her face.

 

On Thursday afternoon, Jessie got a text from Sebastian:

 _"Hey Sunshine! I want to ask you a question, but I need to_  
_explain... OK if I CALL you?  
__Please?_

_Seb"_  
  


Looking around to make sure there were no boss-types looming, she shot back:

" _Hi there!_

_Give me 15 minutes and I'll be on a break. We can talk then._

_Jess"_  
  


Her fingers were shaking and her heart was pounding as she sent her reply. He was probably calling to cancel their date. Why would he want to spend a Friday night with her? What did she expect?  
  


Finishing up the letter she was typing, she set her auto reply to 'away from my desk', locked her screen and headed to the vending machine. She grabbed a Coke then stepped outside and sat on one of several park benches scattered around, waiting for her phone to ring. Before she could pop the tab on her can, the sounds of "Hot Blooded" rang out from her phone. She took a deep breath and answered.

"Hello..."

"There she is! How are you today?"

**Oh man, she thought... he sounds so damn cheerful... trying to break it to me gently I guess.**

"Oh, I'm good so far. How are you?" **Keep it light Jessie, just keep it light**.

"I 'm great!" **He certainly did sound great; must be no big deal to him if he breaks a heart here and there.**

"I just wanted to check with you" **Here it comes**...

 "Would you be OK" **yep, hammer time...**

"if we went to a sort of party tomorrow night?"

She was NOT expecting that.

Sebastian continued, "See, a friend of mine is throwing one of those Casino parties. It's for another friend's birthday and I would like to be there; but if you would be at all uncomfortable, and I want you to be honest with me, we can do something else."

Jessie was so surprised that he wasn't dumping her she didn't know what to say.

"Jess?" he asked hopefully, "Would that be ok with you?"

Regaining the use of her tongue, if not her brain, she answered, "Yes... Sebastian, I mean, I have no idea what a casino party IS, but as long as you are there I know.." **OH MY GOD! JESS! WHAT ARE YOU ABOUT TO SAY?** "...it should be fun," she ended; glad he was not there to see how flustered she was at the thought of seeing him again.

Seb could tell that she was a little unsure, and he assured her, "It **will** be fun. And I promise I will stay by your side...how does that sound?"

She didn't want him to think she was one of those clingy women, but it was too late now.

"Yes of course. It sounds super!" **Super? Super??? Who says that??**

"Perfect!" He sounded so happy she couldn't help but smile. "I'll pick you up at 7:00"

"Okay! Uh....Sebastian, what does one wear to a casino party?" she had to ask.

There was a pause as he thought about it, "I don't know. This is my first! Let's just say, business casual."

Jessie laughed then; there was a longstanding debate in her office about what 'business casual' actually meant. "Okay... I'll come up with something."

"I know you will; and I know you will look adorable!" They both laughed and said their goodbyes.  
  


Back at her desk, Jessie could not keep from smiling. SHE was going out with Sebastian Stan...AGAIN!

 

Staring at the clock by her bed Jessie swore out loud. It was a quarter past 3:00 and she could not sleep. She'd had a late night on Thursday, working an hour late at the office, and then she received a call from the editor at the magazine and they spoke for over an hour about the article she had submitted. To her surprise and extreme relief, he was really pleased with what she had done and wanted her to start thinking of what she could do for a companion follow up piece. After that conversation, she ate a bowl of cereal for dinner, and then started rummaging through her closet in search of the perfect 'business casual' outfit. After trying several combos, she was convinced it just wasn't there... and then she spotted a pair of black corduroy pants she hadn't worn in a while because they were a little snug in the butt and someone at work had suggested she was showing off her nice ass... There was also a sweet chiffon blouse, white with black polka dots and loose fitting long sleeves... that would work. She showered, did her nails, read for a little while and finally turned out the lights at 1:30.

And now it seemed, she was going to have blood shot eyes and dark circles to match her outfit due to lack of sleep. She covered her head with the pillow and continued counting sheep...

 

Friday drug on for both Jessie and Sebastian. He was doing an interview for Chris Hardwick's talk show in the morning and a little later in the day, a People Magazine photo shoot, wishing the whole time that it was Jessie on the other side of the camera; while Jessie kept watching the clock, convinced it was broken and must be frozen in place. Finally the work day was over and while Seb made his way home, stopping at Starbucks along the way, Jessie rushed home only to find the power was off in her building.

"Oh...no." was all she had the energy to utter as she ran to the cupboard and pulled out nearly a dozen candles of various sizes...sadly this was not the first time this had happened.

Lighting a couple of large pillar candles to brighten the kitchen and living room, she carried the rest to her bedroom and bathroom, hoping they would give her enough light to get ready for her date.

At 7:02, her phone rang...it was Sebastian. "Hey! Your power is out!"

"Really? I hadn't noticed," she laughed.

"Yeah... I guess you probably knew that... sorry. Uh... I'll be right up to get you!"

"Okay, I'll be ready."

Seb shook his head as he entered the lobby and followed a woman to the stairway and headed up. Jessie's apartment was on the fourth floor, and it didn't take him long to get to there. Walking down the hall that was lit with very dim emergency lights, he really felt bad for her. This place was ... a dump. It was a nice, clean dump, but clearly not safe; having too many little things that needed to be 'fixed'. When he was halfway down the hall, candlelight spilled out of one doors and she peeked out to wave at him.

"Hi!" she smiled brightly and suddenly, the place was perfect.

"Hi Sunshine!" he reached for her waist, pulling her close and kissed her gently on the lips. "Soooo... what's happening here?"

Jess hadn't been expecting that kiss and was still enjoying the taste of the mint he had chewed on before he walked up the stairs... "Oh... I'm not sure. This happens every 3 or 4 months. It usually doesn't last more than a day or so."

Sebastian nodded and frowned slightly saying, "Oh... good to hear. Okay, you ready to go?"

"Yes, let me just blow out these candles. The last thing we need is a fire, right?"

"Right!" he smiled at her, thinking a fire might be just exactly what the place needed.  
  


He led her down the hall and the stairway, holding her hand as they walked to the car. Once they were settled in and on their way, he asked how her day had been, and she gave him a look that clearly asked, 'are you kidding me?'. He smiled saying, "Never mind. Let's go make it better, what do you say?" Jessie nodded and in just a short while they were pulling up to a charming hotel that had the look of a chalet, along with several other cars. A valet opened her door and helped her out while Sebastian spoke to another about where to park his car.

As he put his arm around her waist to walk up the stairs he whispered, "You look amazing!"

"Thank you! You look quite dashing yourself!"

Sebastian laughed and bit his lip to keep from doing his Elvis impersonation, simply saying "Thank you."

Once inside, Jessie felt her stomach do a back flip. The banquet room was filled with people and at least a third of them she recognized... from their movies!!

"Ohhhh... Sebastian," she said in a shaky voice... "I don't know about this. There are like, PEOPLE here! When you said 'friends' I thought you meant friends, like Joe Blow and Ralph and Susie Nobody... I didn't think, I mean, I should have KNOWN... but I didn't..."

"Stop," he whispered, in her ear. Looking in her eyes he said, "These are 'just people'... Don't worry, you will fit right in. I promise." He kissed her cheek and chucked her on the chin. "Smile!"

Nodding, Jessie did as she was told and smiled brightly at the two men approaching them. She was very proud of herself after they had been introduced, that she had managed to carry on a very intelligent conversation for over 10 minutes. They excused themselves to go refill their glasses and Sebastian said, "See? What did I tell you? Chris and Anthony are regular guys... just like me!"

"Right!" she nodded with the smile still plastered on her face, thinking 'just regular guys like you... 'Mr. Perfectly, Amazingly, Wonderful Guy'. A server had walked past with some interesting looking frou-frou drinks and Sebastian had grabbed one for Jessie. She drank nearly the whole thing while they had visited with Chris and Anthony so he asked if she would like another one.

"Yes, only I have no idea what it is, other than it tastes like cherries and is delicious!"

"OK... I bet they'll be able to figure it out. I'll be right back," she gave him a startled look "OR you can come with me to the bar." He held out his elbow and she took his arm and went with him to get what they discovered was called a 'Cherry Bomb'. It was delicious and she was pretty sure she was going to drink a few too many before the night was over.  
  


Three and half hours later, Jessie, Chris Evans, Lizzie Olsen, Don Saldadino and a few others were gathered around the Black Jack table. Jessie could not lose. She had never played the 'real thing' in her life, so it might have been beginners luck, or she might have been counting cards... but probably not since she was three sheets to the wind by that time... so it must have been that she had absolutely no fear and just went for it!!

Sebastian, who had wisely chosen to monitor his alcoholic intake, was feeling mellow but in no way intoxicated. He was watching her from across the room and from all appearances Jessie was having a very good time. She had simply giggled her approval when he told her he was going to play poker with Anthony and small group of others. Their latest game was winding down, at least he hoped so, because he was getting his butt kicked, but all in all it had been an enjoyable evening. 

Before long, he folded and left the table, walking over to stand behind Jessie with his hands on her shoulders. She had just won another game and Evans said, "For God's sake Seb! Will you please take this woman and feed her or something??? Give the rest of us a chance?"

Sebastian laughed and looking at Jessie he said, "That does sound like a good idea... I don't think you've had more than a couple of crackers, have you?"Jessie nodded, happy to do anything that Sebastian suggested. They gathered up her winnings and as she stood, Seb noticed she was looking a little wobbly on her feet so he led her over to the buffet; which even this late in the party still offered a wide variety of food. He picked up a plate and Jessie tried to follow suit but couldn't seem to keep from dropping it back into the rack.

"How about we eat off the same plate? You just show me what you want and I'll scoop it up for you..." He was trying to balance the plate and Jessie without being too obvious about it.

"Balls"...

Sebastian's eyes got big as he asked, "Wh...what?"

"Balls," Jessie repeated and his eyes followed her finger as she pointed to the meatballs in a silver serving dish.

Nodding, Sebastian spooned out a several large meatballs, tomato & cucumber salad, a good portion of au gratin potatoes and a variety of fresh fruit. When they came to the end of the table and started to turn the corner to walk down the other side, he told her "If you see anything else you like, just point and I'll come back and get it on another plate."  
  


_**You need to understand, Jessie was not what you would call a drinker. Most times she was happy with Coca Cola, Iced Tea or water. It wasn't that she didn't like mixed drinks, like the newly discovered Cherry Bomb, but she knew from past experience that she simply could not hold her liquor. She would either end up making a total fool of herself or pass out and be sleeping long before the party was over.**_  
  


By this time she was well past her self-imposed limit of 2 drinks, and no one who knew her would be surprised when she turned to look at Sebastian and putting her finger on his chest she spoke, slurring slightly, "I see something I really like," then turned with a cheeky grin and started down the other side.

He managed to hold back his laughter and turned to see Don, who had walked up behind them at the buffet, smirking, "Looks like you've got your hands full there Sebby." Don winked and Sebastian just grinned. He and Jess found a place to sit, and as a server approached them with drinks and Jessie reached out to take another, Seb grabbed her hand saying, "No, no, no. Please bring us a couple of bottles of water," then kissed Jessie's fingers lightly.

She eyed him again, a soft smile playing on her lips and Seb wondered just what she was thinking as she nibbled at her food. As he watched her, he hoped that she'd had a good enough time tonight to make tomorrow's hangover worth it, because he was pretty sure she was going to be miserable when morning came.  
  


They finished their food and then Seb held her hand and led the way as he walked around saying goodbye to those people he knew the best, giving the birthday boy Scott Pilgrim (who acted as stunt double for Chris Evans on several Marvel movies) a big hug and nodding to the others who watched the two of them pass by. Outside, as the valet went to collect his car, he tried to keep Jessie talking...she was obviously just about done in for the night and he wanted to get her in the car before she passed out. As they approached the exit for her neighborhood, it suddenly dawned on him that he couldn't take her home. As far as he knew, the power was still out and he absolutely would not drop her off and leave her to fend for herself in the dark, especially in her condition.

 

When they reached his apartment building, he was able to rouse Jess enough to get her out of the car and into the elevator. He had his arm around her, pretty much holding her up as she leaned into him with her limp body, her head on his chest. Once inside his apartment he made her swallow a couple of aspirin and walked her to his bedroom where he sat her on his bed, slipping off her shoes. He thought about it for a full minute and then grabbed a soft cotton football jersey from his closet. He made himself focus on the job at hand as he unbuttoned her blouse, his fingers brushing her breasts gently. Pulling her blouse off, he put the jersey on her, as she giggled, flopping her arms around like a rag doll. Laying her back to rest her head on his pillow he sighed and started unfastening her pants. Suddenly, she grew very still and he raised his eyes to hers. "I just want to make you more comfortable, okay?" Jess nodded and helped him pull them off, her hands resting on top of his as they slid down past her hips.

When he had finished with that he asked, "Better?" She sat up and turned her back towards him, raising her shirt, "Please?"

"Sure, no problem," he said as he reached to unhook her bra. She sighed audibly and he smiled. She pulled her arms inside the shirt to finish disposing of the bra then tugged it back into place and lay back again. Sebastian nodded and pulled the blanket up over her.

He sat there for several minutes, watching as her body relaxed and she settled down into the bed. Before he stood to leave she looked up at him and said, "Sebastian... thank you." He didn't know for what exactly, but smiling at her he gently stroked her hair saying, "You're welcome. Now get some sleep."

As he started to leave, she grabbed his hand, "You...you are so pretty, and I don't mean just to look at. You are a beautiful person."

He was sitting on the edge of the bed and he turned sideways, putting his arm across her body and leaning down, his face close to hers, he whispered, "Thank you." She smiled up at him and his heart melted. He couldn't stop himself from pressing his lips to hers. She was so warm and sleepy and sexy and adorable; and he wanted to crawl under that blanket with her so badly. But he couldn't. Not like this; not in her condition. She might do something she normally wouldn't, and he didn't want to be the one to make her go through that guilt trip. Pulling away from her, he kissed her on the forehead and said, "Good night Jess."

"Good night Sebastian," she answered softly, as her eyes closed and she sighed; sleep overtaking her before he even pulled the door shut.


	4. And So, It Begins

 

Sebastian woke with a start, not sure what had roused him from his sleep. He tried to roll over on his side and very nearly fell off the couch; then he remembered. He stood and stretched and walked softly to the bedroom door, pushing it open slowly. Moonlight poured through the window and outlined her shape perfectly in the otherwise dark room. Jess was sitting in the center of the bed, hand raised to the back of her head.

"Sebastian?" she asked softly.

He stepped into the room and moved to sit on the edge of the bed.

"Hey Sunshine... do you need something?"

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you."

"No, no. That's okay. How do you feel?"

Jessie gave him a grin that looked more like a grimace, "I've been better." Sebastian laid his hand on her knee and the warmth of it sent a tingly feeling through her whole body.

"Can I get you anything?" he realized where his hand was and moved it.

Swallowing hard Jess said, "Some water would be great. And, can you point me to the nearest bathroom?"

"Sure... bathroom is right over there and I'll be right back with your water." He stood, flipping on the bedside lamp and watched as she threw her legs over the edge of the bed and tried to stand. She looked pretty steady on her feet, so he left her to do her thing and went to the kitchen. It was a quarter after 3:00 a.m., so he grabbed a couple more aspirin and a bottle of water then went back to the bedroom. She was just coming out of the bathroom, running her fingers through her tangled hair.

"Here ya go," he smiled as he handed her the bottle.

"Thank you." Jess took it and chugged half the contents down in one long drink.

Handing her the aspirin, Sebastian said, "I thought you might want to take a couple more of these."

Nodding, she swallowed the aspirin and nearly finished the water. Trying not to stare at his bare chest she asked shyly, "Sebastian... please tell me I didn't do anything stupid. It's all a little fuzzy right now. I hope I didn't do anything to embarrass you; or myself for that matter."

Taking the empty bottle from her hand he shook his head, smiling, "No. Not at all. Jess, you were perfect. As far as I could tell, you made a lot of new friends!"

"Oh... okay then. That's good."

She still looked a little pensive, so he asked, "Is there something else on your mind?"

"Well... I was wondering," she looked down at the jersey she was wearing, "I don't remember changing clothes... did you...?"

"Oh! Yeah, well I helped you a little. Or maybe you helped me a little... either way, it was all very professional."

Blushing slightly, Jess just nodded her head, but her eyes showed her gratitude and relief. She yawned loudly and Seb reached down and pulled the covers back, "Here, climb in and get some more sleep. It's the best thing for a hangover."

"Why don't we trade? It's your place, you should take the bed."

"No. Not a chance."

"But Seba..."

"No. My mother raised me better than that. Now, hop in."

Jessie did as she was told and crawled back into bed, pulling the sheet and blanket up to her waist, as she sat up looking at Sebastian. "I really had a good time... at least the parts I remember."

He laughed and said, "Good! Does that mean you'll go out with me again?"

Without a moment's hesitation Jess nodded, "Yes. I would like that very much."

"It's a date then. Now, get some more rest."

Nodding she asked, "Would you mind leaving the door cracked, just a little?"

He smiled, "Of course, no problem. Good night again."

"Good night" she snuggled down into the blankets and turned on her side with a sigh.

Sebastian was careful to leave the door open a couple of inches as he left the bedroom, then made his way back to the couch.  
  


Several hours later, while Jessie took a quick shower, Sebastian got busy in the kitchen, nuking bacon, scrambling eggs and popping in some toast. He was in a very good mood, as he attempted to sing along with "I Can't Fight this Feeling" by R.E.O. Speedwagon on the radio. In fact, he was so involved in cooking and singing, he didn't notice when his mother let herself into the apartment and stood watching him with a broad grin on her face, shaking her head in delight. As the song ended, she clapped loudly and Sebastian nearly dropped the plates he had just pulled out of the cabinet.

"MOM!!! Wha..What... are you doing here?" He was clearly flustered.

"Is that any way to greet your mother?" she laughed as he set the plates down and walked into her open arms to share a big hug.

"I'm sorry. I just, I wasn't expecting you and I didn't hear you come in and..."

They both turned to look at Jessie as she entered the room.

"Jess..." Sebastian looked at her with wide eyes.

"Well, hello dear," his mother spoke in a friendly voice.

"Jessie, this is my mother Georgeta Orlovschi; Mom, this is Jessie Fender, my...friend."

Jess reached out to take Georgeta's hand and gave it a squeeze, thankful she had dressed before coming out of Sebastian's bedroom.

"So nice to meet you. I hope I'm not intruding on your visit, Sebastian didn't mention that you were coming."

"Oh no dear! He didn't know I was going to drop by. And obviously I didn't know he had a guest or I would have called first."

Sebastian, whose tongue seemed to be tied at the moment just looked from one to the other of them and finally asked, "Who's ready for some breakfast?"  
  


They sat together and ate what Seb had cooked, along with some amazing cinnamon rolls that his mother had brought from her favorite bakery. After a somewhat shaky start, by the end of the meal they were all relaxed and laughing as Georgeta shared several stories of Sebastian as a child. When they had finished, Jess and Sebastian cleared the table and at the sink he said, "Thank you for being such a good sport. I know she can be ... mother-ish at times." Jessie smiled brightly and said, "Are you kidding? She's wonderful! ... But, uh.. I really should get home soon. I would ask that you call me a cab, but I can't seem to find my bag or my phone..."

"What are you children whispering about?" Georgeta asked playfully.

"We are planning our escape," Seb teased back.

Then looking at Jessie, "We'll find your things... I probably left them in the car. But Jess, you don't have to leave. I mean, I would love for you to hang out here all day if you want."

"Sebastian, your mom is here to visit with you, not me. And I really need to get home and see if the power is back on, and try to get my laundry done... boring stuff like that, ya know?"

He sighed, but smiled and said, "Okay." He really didn't want her to leave. He didn't want her to go home to her tiny apartment with no electricity and a door that wouldn't close properly and an elevator that felt like it could get stuck or worse, fall at any given moment... and... He just didn't want her to leave.

"Mom, I'm going to run Jessie home, and make sure things are okay at her place. I'll be back as soon as I can. Just make yourself at home."

"You know I will. And Jessie, come, give an old woman a hug. It was so nice to meet you and I hope we can visit again very soon."

With a big smile Jessie gave the woman a warm hug, "Thank you, Georgeta. I hope that we can too. Take care."

Sebastian waved to his mom as he walked out behind Jess.  
  
  


Thankfully, they DID find her purse and phone, tucked under the front seat. The two of them were oddly quiet on the trip to her apartment and when they got there, they were both relieved to find the power was back on and everything was in its place in Jess's apartment. Standing by her tiny kitchen table, Sebastian took the opportunity to pull her into his arms, searching her face as if he needed an answer to a question he had yet to ask. Jessie turned her head slightly, looking away from his intense gaze, but he put his hand on her cheek and as she looked back, his lips met hers in a warm, delicious kiss. But it wasn't enough. He continued to kiss her, his tongue snaking into her mouth, eliciting a soft moan from her. His lips demanded more as he picked her up and set her on the table, leaning into her, his hands roaming up and down her back, in her hair, holding her chin to look into her eyes.

"Jessie, I..."

"I know... but you should go," Jessie was slightly breathless.

Sebastian nodded. "Okay. I'll call you. Soon, I promise."

She smiled and kissed his mouth one more time. "Go."

He turned to leave, then looked back and nodded again.

After he had gone, Jessie let out a shaky sigh. What had just happened? Was she dreaming? Did she just have breakfast with Sebastian Stan, and his MOTHER?? "Oh god" she whispered as she sat on the couch and bent over to put her head between her knees.  
  


She spent the rest of the day, doing laundry, cleaning her apartment and then settled down to put together some ideas for her next article for the magazine. While she was doing that, she suddenly remembered something Sebastian's mother had said about him when he was a child. She smiled and thought for a moment. Yeah... that would make an interesting, 'different' kind of photo shoot for Stan, Sebastian Stan. She giggled to herself and decided she would run the idea by him next time they spoke, and see what he thought about it.  
  


Back at his apartment, Sebastian and Georgeta enjoyed a nice long visit then went out to take in a show and have a bite to eat. While they shared a giant piece of cake, his mother asked, "So, how did you meet Jessie? She doesn't seem like your usual 'type'. I like her."

"First of all, I don't have a 'type'. Secondly, what does that even mean? And I'm glad you like her. I like her too. A lot."

"What I mean is, she seems, and don't take this the wrong way, she seems very common. And by that I mean, she has no pretentiousness about her. She was very open and friendly and genuine, even with your mother, if you see what I'm saying. She could be a CEO or work at McDonald's and you wouldn't be able to tell from her attitude, or maybe, it's lack of attitude. So, where DID you meet her?"

"uhhh... Well, I guess we actually MET at the book store off of 46th St. And she IS very down to earth. And before you ask, she doesn't have a lot of money, and she lives over by old Jasper building... nothing too fancy, that's for sure."

"I see... how long have you known her?"

"Actually, we met a week ago, tomorrow. And what do you mean, you see? What do you see?"

"Sebastian, my goodness son!! I'm not picking on the girl. I LIKE her, I really do... but I know how popular you are with the women and some women will stoop to any level to be with someone like you. Maybe even trap you..."

Sebastian was shaking his head. "Not Jess. She's not like that."

"How can you be sure if you've only just met her? Did she whisper sweet nothings to you in your bed?"

"Mom! I can't even believe we are having this conversation... but just to put your mind at ease, no. She didn't whisper ... geez... We didn't sleep together. OK?"

Georgeta laughed; at the look on his face, the tone of his voice; the fact that he was defending Jessie like it was second nature.

"Sebastian, please don't be angry with me. I'm just being a mother. And I do like Jessie. She's amazing... and I think she's a keeper."

Sebastian just rolled his eyes. He never knew what his mom was up to or what she was going to say. They finished their dessert then headed back to his apartment.  
  


After visiting a little while longer, Georgeta went to bed and Sebastian grabbed his phone to text Jessie:

_"Hey Sunshine... I miss you. (Does that sound too corny? I don't_  
_even care if it does.) I was just thinking about you and I hope you_  
_had a good day and finished the things you needed to._

_Can't wait to see you again..._

_Seb_

_p.s. You have a new fan. My mother thinks you are amazing._  
_p.s.s. I'm going to give you the jersey you wore last night. It looks way_  
_better on you than it does on me._

_Good night!"_  
  


Jessie, who had gone to a Saturday evening praise and worship service at the church she attended, had forgotten to turn the volume on her phone back on, and didn't see the text until just before she went to bed, about 2 hours after Sebastian had sent it.

_"Sebastian,_

_I'm sorry, I didn't notice I had a text until just now._  
_Your mother is a lovely woman and I am very happy_  
_to hear that she is a 'fan'! I truly enjoyed meeting her._

_As for the jersey, it was VERY comfortable, but I think you_  
_should keep it. First of all, it can't possibly look better on_  
_anyone than it does on you... and secondly, if you give me_  
_a gift, then I'll feel obligated to give you one, and that's a_  
_slippery slope to get started down. But I do appreciate you_  
_thinking of me and your offer of generosity._

_See, what did I tell you? Sometimes I ramble on... but thanks_  
_again for a lovely time last night, and for being such a gentleman_  
_and taking care of me. You are awesome!_

_Okay then, we'll talk soon... I have an idea I want to share with_  
_you!_

_Sleep well,_

_Jess"_  
  


Sebastian was dozing on the couch when Jessie's text came through. He grabbed his phone and checked her message. He read it, and then he read it again, and then over and over again. He wasn't sure if he had insulted her with the offer of his shirt or if she was seriously concerned about not being able to buy him a gift; or what exactly was going on... He felt bad either way. He laid there and stared at the ceiling for quite a while, not sure how to respond. Finally he decided her text didn't really NEED a response, so he was just going to let it ride, for now.

 

The next day, Sebastian spent the morning with his mom, doing pretty much whatever she was in the mood to do, and by 2:00 o'clock she headed off to spend the rest of the day and the night with one of her long time girlfriends. The minute she walked out the door he picked up his phone and called Jessie.  
  


"Hello..." Jessie answered on the second ring.

"Hi Jess... it's me. I was wondering if you had a couple of hours to spend with me this evening."

"Oh! Well, I'm kind of in the middle of a project, but if you want to just hang out over here, we could visit for a while."

"Perfect," he said. "I'll be there around 5:30 and I'll bring some Chinese, ok?"

"Sure, that sounds great." Jessie was so glad she had spent the day before cleaning her apartment and she only had to clean herself up before he got there.  
  
  


At 5:30 on the dot, there was a tapping on her door. Jess who had finished her outline and already had several photos and facts lined up for her next project, answered the door with a big smile on her face. Sebastian was taken aback by her beauty. He knew she would disagree, but she was beautiful; maybe not like some super model or bombshell actress... but she had long blonde hair, hazel eyes, a very nice body and a smile that reached from her heart into yours. All of that was good, but she also had a way about her, some little something that made you want to be close to her; to be the one she wanted to be close to. He couldn't explain it, but every time they were together, he felt that need grow. He wanted her to want him. He couldn't deny he already wanted her.  
  


She stepped back from the door and ushered him in, leading him to the kitchen and when they had put all the carry out on the counter she turned to find him standing very close.

"Hi" she said shyly. "Hi," he smiled with a gleam in his eyes.

"You are right on time! I finished my outline and ..." he was giving her that look again, the one that said I want to get to know you, but I don't want to talk...

"Sebastian... you... You need to stop looking at me like that."

"Like what?" he smiled broadly.

"Like, uh... like the big bad wolf."

"The big bad... really?" he laughed. "Okay, I'll try. But you don't make it easy, just so you know."

"I'll take that as a compliment...I think."

"You should... can I at least have a kiss?"

Jessie sighed and rolled her eyes like it was some huge chore, then said, "I suppose."

Sebastian snorted then pushed her back against the wall with his body, staring into her eyes, with a wicked little grin on his face. He moved his lips to her ear, saying, "If I only get a kiss, I'm going to make it last."

Jessie shivered as his breath tickled her ear, his teeth latching onto her earlobe, pulling gently, then moving to her neck where he kissed and nibbled, and flicked his tongue giving her delightful chills before moving to her mouth; teasing her, his lips barely brushing hers, then pulling back, and brushing them again. He ran his tongue across her mouth, and as she parted her lips, his tongue found hers, battling for dominance. All the while, he had her pinned against the wall, arms locked in place so she couldn't touch him. Finally he let her wrists go and she buried her hands in his hair, kissing him deeply, holding back nothing. It was clear she wanted him, and he smiled to himself, knowing the truth. His hands roamed gently over her back as they continued to kiss, but he held back his desire to take things further.

When she pulled away, he could see that her eyes had gone mostly green, and she was breathing heavy. Reluctantly he let go of her and with a grin he asked, "Ready for some chow?"

Feeling a little rumpled, she nodded and said, "I'll be right back." Going into her bathroom she stared at herself in the mirror. "What the...? How does he do that?" she wondered. She held a washcloth under the faucet and ran the cold water over it. Wringing it out, she held it to her cheeks, then to the back of her neck. After a minute, Jess joined Sebastian in the kitchen. He had already served up a plateful of a variety of Chinese dishes and was sitting on the couch leaning over the small coffee table in front of it.

"I didn't want to get anything on your papers or pictures... I hope this is ok?" he looked so sweet and innocent; Jessie almost laughed out loud as she put some of the food on a plate for herself.

"That's fine. I sit there and eat pretty often." She sat next to him, trying not to get too close, but it was a small couch and an even smaller table, so their legs were going to touch, no matter what. After a few minutes, he said, "For god's sake Jessie, I'm not going to bite you... well not unless you want me to."

She sighed and said, "Would you just shut up and eat your food?"

Sebastian laughed saying "Yes, ma'am." Jessie laughed too and relaxed enough to enjoy her own meal.  
  


When they finished and were tossing paper plates and boxes and wrappers into the trash, Sebastian asked, "So, what was the idea you wanted to talk to me about?"

Jessie was taking a big drink of Coke at the time and she nodded, almost spitting her drink on him. She wiped her mouth saying, "Sorry," while Sebastian tried very hard not to laugh.

"ummmm... I was thinking about what your mom was saying about you as a kid at the zoo. How you stood and stared and studied the animals, almost as if you were communicating with them supernaturally... and I got to thinking, a photo shoot at the zoo, could be amazing. It might be a little tricky and we would need to show up before the gates open... but I think it could be really neat." What do you think?"

Sebastian stared at her for a long moment, and then said, "I love it!! When, when can we do this?"

Jessie sighed, relieved that he seemed to really like the idea, and also because they were back on steady ground where she felt more comfortable and in control. "Well, like I said, we need to arrange it with the owners and of course we would have to work out a couple of days that we are both available and hopefully the weather will be cooperative... but we could do it sometime in the next few weeks, don't you think?" Her wheels were spinning and another idea was forming in the back of her mind, but she decided to hold off on sharing it until she could do some research.

Smiling widely Sebastian nodded and said, "Yes!! This is going to be SO cool!" He offered his fist to Jessie. She smiled and bumped her fist to his, hoping she could get it all arranged, on top of her magazine shoots and regular work schedule. The next few weeks were going to be very busy ones. Very busy indeed.

 


	5. Fire and Ice and Everything Nice

 

Several days later, Jessie was trying to hide her yawn as she sat at her desk in the offices of Finz & Finz. She had been putting in extra hours there, having been handed a huge case file to totally re-tool and enter into the records system. She didn't really mind because it was a break from the typical letters and other correspondence she typed... but it DID require special attention and quite a bit of research into statements and evidence verifications and claims over the past six years. And because she was working late at the office, she was working even later on her assignments with the magazine.

Sebastian had texted her several times and called twice, but she was really overwhelmed with work and trying to figure out the details and permissions and releases she needed to do the shoot at the zoo... she had very little time to spend with the man himself. He sent her the contact info for his publicist who was very pleasant and willing to help... and that was a relief. When the woman had brought up the topic of Jessie's fee, she didn't know what to say. She hadn't even considered charging for taking his pictures. The woman laughed and assured Jessie that her photos would be worth a lot of money, to a lot of people.

"Oh. Okay... is there a standard rate that you are used to paying?" Jessie felt foolish, but she had no idea.

"Well, sort of. There are amateur and professional rates. I'll put you down as professional, how does that sound?"

"Uhhh.. I... wouldn't say I'm professional..."

"Don't be silly. Sebastian is obviously very impressed with your work. I'll trust his judgment."

"Right... of course. That will be fine then...Thank you!"

Once that was settled, they discussed a time frame and decided that they would make a go of it 3 weeks later on Sunday and Monday. When Jessie told the woman the other idea she was working on, she agreed that it sounded amazing and that she should do both shoots and they could decide later which pics to release first.

"Thank you so much for your time and all of your help," Jessie said with a little stress in her voice.

"Don't worry sweetheart. Seb told me you are under a lot of pressure right now, so if something comes up, we can shuffle things around and make this happen later if need be. It will all work out just fine."

Again, Jessie said "Thank you," only this time she didn't sound so overwhelmed by it all.

  
  
Friday night rolled around and when Jess finally pulled into her parking spot at home, she didn't even glance at the 'guest parking' area. When she was greeted by the out of order sign on the elevator doors... she groaned out loud. Slowly climbing the stairs to her apartment, all she could think about was how good a shower, pj's and popcorn in front of the tv sounded. So, when she approached her apartment and could hear music coming from inside, she froze, thinking it must be a burglar, but what the hell kind of burglar would turn on music to... sing along with? She pushed the door open and slowly peeked into the room.

Sebastian Stan was leaning over her tiny little kitchen table, which he had covered with a beautiful cloth, set with her only good plates and decorated with flowers and candles which he was in the process of lighting; she was speechless.

"Hi!!" he called out to her. "I hope you don't mind. I knew you would be late and probably not feel like going "out", so I brought dinner to you. Is that okay?"

Jess, who couldn't find her tongue just kept looking back and forth between the beautiful table setting, his beautiful smile and down at the not so beautiful floor. When she broke into tears, Sebastian hurried to her side, folding her into his arms.

"Jess? What is it? I'm sorry if I did something wrong..."

She shook her head and looking at him through her tears she whispered, "Oh Sebastian. This is perfect... no one has ever done anything so nice for me. Thank you... thank you so much!" as the tears continued to flow.

He held her tight, stroking her hair and murmuring soft words of comfort, while in his mind he just could not understand why this woman who deserved so much and worked so hard seemed to have so little. And the fact that his simple act of kindness affected her so powerfully; he guessed there must be a story of some kind that she was not sharing, maybe she didn't even allow herself to think about it. One thing he did know was that he was going to take care of her; somehow, some way... he was going to make her life better.

When Jessie seemed to have recovered, Sebastian said, "Hey, what say we get this party started? You go put on something comfortable, 'wink-wink', and I'll serve up the food. How does that sound?"

Nodding and even managing a genuine smile, Jessie said "Okay. I'll be right back." She went to her bedroom and changed into her oldest, most comfortable pair of jeans and topped it with a soft pink t-shirt that she'd had for years. She slipped on her tennis shoes and brushed out her hair that had been pulled back tightly all day, so it now laid in long waves on her shoulders and down her back. She slipped into the bathroom and touched up her face a bit, she couldn't have mascara raccoon eyes staring at Sebastian, then dabbed a fresh drop or two of perfume at her pulse points.

As she walked back into the living room she said, "That smells wonderful!! What is it?"

"Come, sit down and see," he gave her a wink.

Doing as she was told, Jessie 'ooohed' and 'ahhhhed' as she took in the amazing sight of sliced roast beef, mashed potatoes and gravy, grilled asparagus and glazed pears on the plate in front of her.

"Wow!! Sebastian!! This looks delicious... You aren't going to try to convince me that YOU did all of this, are you?"

Laughing loudly at the very thought, he grinned at her saying, "No... it's a new place, I hadn't even heard of it, but my mother suggested that you would probably enjoy the cuisine."

"Well... your mother is absolutely right! This is home cookin' right here! Let's eat!!"  
  


They both enjoyed that meal immensely, for some of the same reasons, and for some very different reasons. But whatever the reason, it was a time of laughter and sharing and growing closer that neither of them would ever forget. When they had both had their fill, they cleared the table and put the few leftovers away, loaded the dishwasher and moved to the living room to sit and talk for a while. Sebastian shared several funny stories from his on-set adventures and a few bizarre 'fan encounters' making Jessie giggle with delight. She told him about some embarrassing moments from the time she worked at a funeral home (yeah, that job didn't last too long) and then confessed there were just too many others to even pick one as the 'most' embarrassing. After a lot of coaxing, she shared a little bit of her background. When she brought up her discussion with his publicist she mentioned to him that she hadn't expected to be paid for taking a few pictures of a friend.

"Jessie, I have nothing to do with that stuff. I told her that you would be contacting her when you were ready and that she should be receptive and fair with you. That's all."

"That's all?" she gave him a questioning look.

"Yes. Well..., I may have also mentioned that you are very talented, adorable and sexy as hell, but that's all."

Laughing, Jessie said "Okay" then yawned loudly. "Oh man, sorry about that. It's been a long day. It has nothing to do with the company, I promise."

They talked a little while longer, and after a bit, Sebastian could see that she was really tired and he stood to get ready to leave.

"Seb?" it was the first time she had used the 'familiar' version of his name, making his heart skip a beat.

"Yeah baby?" He spoke softly.

"I was hoping you could stay a while longer. I mean, if you have something else to do... I understand. But, uh... it's really nice to have someone... to have you, around; ya know?"

She wasn't whining, or teasing or being coy... she sounded like she needed a friend.

"Jess, I don't have any place I would rather be. I just don't want to keep you from getting the rest you need. I'll stay until you kick my butt out. How's that sound?"

Giving him a grin, she said, "Perfect."  
  


As noted before, her couch was on the smaller side, not much larger than a love seat, but with determination and lot of giggles, they found a comfortable position to snuggle and watch television for a while. It wasn't too long before Jessie was fast asleep. Seb watched as her eyelids fluttered in restlessness until her body finally relaxed in his arms.

He settled back and watched one of those old Columbo mystery movies, wondering how a show that started off showing the viewer "who did it" could still be so intriguing, but it really was.  The movie ended and another one started and his eyes were getting heavy so he closed them for "just a minute". Two hours later he woke up; his arm numb and his bladder full.

"Jessie," he nudged her gently, "baby I need to get up."

With a soft moan, she answered, "Noooo... stay."

He smiled at her 'sleepy' voice and her unwillingness to move. "Jess, I'll stay, but I need to get up for a minute."

She laid there for about 15 seconds longer, then said, "Oh... okay" then sat up slowly, pushing herself away from him so he could stand. When he came back, she had switched the television off and was standing in the kitchen, drinking a glass of water.

"Hey! You're up!"

"Yes... I'm sorry for keeping you so long. I can't believe what time it is."

"Don't worry about it. I had a nice nap," he grinned at her.

Smiling, Jessie told him, "You are too good to me. I don't know why you do it, but thank you."

Sebastian took the glass from her hand and set it on the counter. Putting his hands on her shoulders he looked into her eyes, "Jessie, if I'm good to you, its because you deserve it.  Don't ever doubt that." She started to shake her head and he stopped her, "Believe it."

Gazing into the depths of his eyes, she longed for him to kiss her. He must read minds, she thought, as Sebastian leaned in slowly to caress her lips with his own. When he pulled away, she whispered, "Do that again."

"Yes ma'am" he said with a smirk before gently kissing her again.

 

They say time flies when you are having fun... or when you are really busy. The next couple of weeks flew by as both Sebastian and Jessie were completely absorbed in work. The photo shoot was fast approaching and everything was set. Just a few days before they were set to shoot, Sebastian stopped by to visit Jessie at her apartment. He had arrived to find the power off again, and her door opened with the slightest touch of his hand. It was early enough that there were no candles lit yet, and the building super had promised the power would be back on in the next hour, so Jessie was not fretting over it. Sebastian, however, was not happy about the situation, and he made the mistake of suggesting she move, even going so far as to offer to help her find a place and supplement whatever the extra rent might be if she needed him to. Jessie was not at all receptive to the suggestion. 

"Jessie... please. Let me do this. If not for you; then for me and my peace of mind." He knew he might be skating on thin ice, but he wanted her out of this place.

"Sebastian, I know my apartment is not as big or as nice or as pretty or as good as yours, okay? But this is where I live. I know my neighbors and I trust them. I don't see what your problem is."

"Jess, listen to me. I'm sure your neighbors are all very nice. I just...I don't..." he was trying very hard to find the right words, "I worry about you. I CARE about you and I don't want anything to happen to you."

She answered in a huff, "I really don't think having to walk up a couple of flights of stairs because the elevator is out of order is anything for you to be concerned about."

"Jess, stop. That is not my main concern and you know it. It doesn't matter where you live, you should have a front door that closes and locks and stays that way until you unlock it. This building has no security and anybody could walk in off the street and into your apartment. Please don't be angry with me. I don't think you are safe here, and I would never forgive myself if something happened to you."

"Sebastian, you... I appreciate your concern, I really do. But honestly, 'I' am not your problem, so please don't make me that."

Biting his tongue, he stared at Jessie for a long while without saying a word. The truth was, he cared about her more than a little, apparently more than he should. And his feelings were hurt.

Finally, Jessie spoke softly, "I'm sorry. I don't mean to offend you or hurt your feelings, I really don't. And I am touched by your concern.... Frankly, I'm not used to having anyone care about me or my welfare; and it freaks me out a little."

Sebastian stared at her a moment longer, chewing on his lip. "It's okay... I uh, I probably over-stepped the boundaries a little. I'm sorry." He looked away, her words 'I am not your problem' still stinging. She was right of course; they weren't officially a 'couple' or anything. They had kissed and snuggled a little, and they obviously enjoyed spending time together. By today's standards they were friends and nothing more. He certainly hadn't told her how he felt about her, because he wasn't really sure, at least he hadn't been. But it was pretty clear to him now that he had fallen for her... and he wasn't convinced she felt the same.

They really hadn't made plans for that evening, and thinking it might be best if he left, Sebastian finally looked at Jess and told her he needed to take care of a few things but that he would call her later that night or the next day. Now it was her turn to be hurt, but she guessed she deserved it, so she nodded and said, "Okay." As Sebastian reached the door, Jessie caught up to him and grabbed his arm.

"Sebastian, are you angry with me?" she had to know.

He looked at her, long hair framing her face; her lips parted slightly, eyes filled with concern. His chest ached... he wanted her more in that moment than he ever had, but he knew this was not the time. Taking her face in his hands he smiled and said, "No. Never." He kissed her then and she could feel how he hesitated and held back. "I'll call you later, okay?"

"Sounds good," Jessie replied, as he walked out the door and down the hall to the stairway. She waved at him and he touched the bill of his cap before starting down the stairs.

He did call her later that night and they had a nice long lunch the next day, and everything seemed to be okay, if a little strained.  
  
  
  
Sunday morning dawned with sunshine and puffy clouds in the sky. It was supposed to be in the mid to upper 70's with a mild breeze. Perfect day for a photo shoot. She met with Sebastian, his publicist Marie and the zoo rep at 6:15 a.m. They were ushered in and the gates were closed and re-locked. They had been granted 3 and 1/2 hours and full access, so they got busy right away. As they hopped on the sky lift to get to the other side of the park, Jessie who had actually brought two cameras, a tripod and several other items all packed in a neat bundle, told Sebastian... "I know you have done a thousand of these things, but I haven't. So I'm just going to warn you that I will be taking a lot, and I mean a LOT of shots, some with each camera; some we set up and a lot of them candid. So don't assume that I don't know what I'm doing, just know that I do things in my own, quirky way. Okay?"

Sebastian laughed and said, "I would expect nothing less."

Jessie smiled at him and he winked; a twinkle in his eyes.

She hadn't been kidding. Jessie snapped dozens upon dozens upon dozens of random photos and equally as many that she 'set up'. She had specific animal exhibits she wanted to use, chosen more for the backdrop than the animal in it, although there were some shots that featured the animals; she also took a lot of what could only be called 'odd angle' shots. Marie gave her a strange look and Jessie smiled broadly. "Trust me."   It was clear that Jess was very happy with what she was seeing in her camera's lens, but she wasn't interested in sharing her shots with anyone until she was 'finished with them' as she put it.  
  


They were running out of their allotted time when they hit their last stop, the petting zoo... Sebastian gave her a look of utter disbelief, but Jessie stood her ground. And she was so glad she did. At the end of the day, one of her favorite shots came from that spot. As Marie watched her set it up, a smile spread across her face that just grew and grew. The sight of Sebastian on the ground in front of several bales of hay, knees up, legs apart, his shirt open and waving gently in the breeze, the sun just beginning to top the trees behind the pen, spreading magical shadows and rays of light all around him; while several pygmy goats played in front of the bales and one stood on top, looking over his shoulder. Behind the bales of hay were a couple of adorable Shetland ponies that appeared to be looking over at Sebastian as well. The expressions on Seb's face were priceless; especially when one of the goats put its front hooves on his shoulders and stared into his eyes...That smile of his was going to drive the women wild.  
  


Once they finished and made their way to their cars, Sebastian asked Jess if she wanted to spend some time together, maybe grab a bite to eat and take in a movie. Or do a little shopping... Jess looked down at her worn out jeans and smiled at him, shaking her head. "Well, it's pretty obvious I NEED to do some shopping, but, I really have to be in the mood. And by that I mean I have to be desperate before I go shopping. NOT my favorite thing to do."

What she truly wanted to do was go home and start sorting through the photos she had just taken, but because they'd had their first little 'tiff' only a couple of days earlier, she thought she should probably agree to spend some time with him instead. NOT that she didn't want to spend time with him...it wasn't that at all.

"Food always sounds good and a movie would be nice. I'll get all of this stuff home and clean up and be ready whenever you say."

Marie walked over to them to give hugs and say goodbye. "It was so nice to meet you Jessie. I cannot WAIT to see how these all turn out. I know they are going to be something special! Are you two still doing that other thing tomorrow?"

Jessie laughed and told the woman that she hoped that she was right about the pictures and that if the rain in the forecast held off, she was ready to do the other shoot as planned. Marie smiled saying "I wish I could be there for that!" She gave Jessie a hug and then turned to Sebastian, giving him a hug and whispering in his ear, "She's a keeper Sebby, don't let her get away!"

Sebastian nodded and waved as Marie left, then walked over to Jessie's car, putting his hands on either side of her as she leaned her back against the door. "So, alone at last, huh?"

"Yeah... alone at last," she said softly, wishing she didn't feel like he was still upset with her.

"You've made another fan," he smiled.

"Really? You better watch out Mr. Stan, I'll be giving you a run for your money before long," she teased.

"Could be," he replied quietly. She smiled up at him and he leaned in to kiss her, but before he did he asked, "We okay?" Her eyes were sparkling with tears that sprung up from nowhere and she whispered, "Yes..." He kissed her then, and she melted into his embrace not sure how she would go on if he ever decided they were finished. If he ever left her...  
  


They both went home and cleaned up to spend a few hours together. It was an enjoyable afternoon that turned into a wonderful evening and at 10:00 p.m. Jessie finally had to kick his butt out (per his instructions) so she could get what she needed ready for the next day. She hadn't told Sebastian what her plan was and she hoped he would be as excited about it as she was. She told him she would pick him up at 7:30 and that he should bring a couple of his favorite shirts and maybe a hat or two. He nodded and gave her a bear hug and scattered kisses on face and lips, then left, whistling as he bypassed the hated elevator and set off down the stairs.  
  
  


Monday morning... Jessie made her way through the traffic to pick up Sebastian, who had managed to go out and buy a box of sinfully delicious donuts from his local bakery before she arrived. They both munched eagerly on the yummy treats as they made their way through the city and as quickly as she could manage, Jess got on the least traveled road she could find so they made far better time. After 25 minutes, Sebastian, who had been staring out the window, wondering where they were going, started to feel like he recognized some landmarks. He turned his head and looked at her with a suspicious grin and when she turned down a gravel road, he said, "Oh my god!!"

Jessie grinned as his eyes lit up and she could tell that he'd been to these carnival grounds before and had some pretty good memories. Of course now, it was long abandoned and run down, many of the rides rusted and crumbling or looking like a good wind would knock them over quite easily. It was really an eerie place, but somehow, familiar and inviting at the same time.  
  


And it was a perfect day to shoot 'eerie' shots; overcast and muggy, with pockets of fog rising here and there in low lying areas of the carnival grounds. She had come here twice on her own in the past couple of weeks; first to see what was left of the place, then again to get a feel for what she wanted to do. And Sebastian? Sebastian was SO looking the part of the 'dark man' that she had envisioned. He had been letting his hair grow for a new movie role, not to 'Bucky' length, but it was hanging over his collar in the back and was longish on the top and sides. His scruff was actually looking like a groomed beard. He was wearing black jeans and a rich blue colored shirt, and he had brought a burgundy one and a crisp white one along as well.  
  


Jess started snapping a few pictures of their surroundings, getting a feel for the lighting and the best settings she should use on this overcast day. Soon, they got to work, Sebastian climbing on steel girders, wooden roller coaster tracks or posing in the middle of piles of broken down bumper cars or carousel horses; anything Jess asked him to do, he did it. Just like the day before, she took lots of 'candid' shots as they made their way around the whole field where the carnival had lived out its life, now overgrown with grass and trees and a crumbling parking area. She also set up a lot of shots, though not as many as the previous day's outing.

After a couple of hours, they walked back to the car where Jess had stowed a small cooler with drinks, sandwiches and fruit. They sat in one of the Ferris Wheel seats and snacked a while.

"Jessie," Seb asked, "How did you come up with this idea?"

"Well, as you may have noticed, I love spooky, scary things. And I saw a movie once, like maybe 10 years ago, about a group of horny teens coming across an abandoned circus site. Of course they were all killed off one by one, typical slasher movie, but that image of the run down rides stuck with me, not because of the 'horror' but because I found the setting so beautiful." She blushed and looked away.

"And... what else?" he asked her playfully.

"And... I had a dream about you; long before I ever met you. It was... let's just say it was a good dream, and parts of it took place in an abandoned shed."

Sebastian was eyeing her up and down, leaning back like he was proud of himself.

Jessie swatted at him and said, "You asked."  
  


The sky was starting to grow dark with stormy looking clouds as they sat and enjoyed being totally alone for a while. Jessie looked up and said, "Oh damn!! I have one more shot I want to get. Come on!" She grabbed the tripod from her trunk and asked Sebastian to put on his white shirt, leaving it mostly unbuttoned. He smirked and said, "Anything you want."  
  


They found the 'dark castle' ride and Jess set up the tripod. She stared through the lens for a minute and then took Sebastian's hand and led him to a particular spot, saying "stand right here." She went back to camera and studied the shot again. When she walked back to where he stood, she moved him a foot or so, directing him to 'stay there', as she repeated the process. She snapped a couple of shots each time she moved him, because frankly, he looked so damn hot, then told him, "Okay, I was going to bring one of my friends with us to do this shot, but she backed out last minute, so I'm going to try something here, if you don't mind."

Sebastian nodded, amazed at how serious she was about getting everything just right. She walked over to him and moved him just about two inches, and then she moved in to stand close to him. She unfastened several of the buttons on her blouse and said, "Ok, in a minute, I'm going to set the timer, and when I move into the frame, I want you to turn this way slightly... and put this hand here, and this one right here."

He lifted his brows at her and she said to him, "...yes, I want you to do what comes naturally..." 

Sebastian was liking this a lot. He had caught on to the feel she was going for and he was ready to give it a try. Jessie was looking at the crumbling wall that would be behind her, mentally noting the spot where she should stand. Nodding her head she was finally pleased with how things were set up and retuning to the camera, taking one more look, she was satisfied with its position. She pulled her hair pins out and her golden locks tumbled into place as if they had been trained for just this moment. She pinched her cheeks, set the number of shots to the maximum of ten clicks, then set the timer and hurried back to be manhandled by Sebastian Stan.

"Ready?" she asked him.

"Yes, are you?" he gave her a wicked smile.

Jessie nodded and Sebastian put on his game face. His body and hands and mouth moving with precision at each click of the camera. The final shot showed Jessie, back arched, eyes closed, lips parted as his mouth closed hungrily on her neck and his fingers were sneaking into her blouse to fondle her breast. They were at an angle so you could see his eyes as he "bit" her; looking directly into the camera.

The camera stopped shooting, but Sebastian didn't. He was in love with Jessie and he wanted her to know it. They stayed there at the castle, for several minutes, caught up in the moment. Far too soon, as thunder rumbled, they gathered themselves and Jess's equipment up and hurried back to the car. When they arrived at Sebastian's apartment, he asked Jessie to come up with him, teasing that he had something that he thought belonged to her.

He opened the door and she stepped inside, trying to think of what she might have left there. Sebastian took her in his arms then and she lost her train of thought and every other thought that wasn't Sebastian. He led her to his room and they fell onto the bed together. There on the pillow, was the jersey. He had taken it to a seamstress and had "Jessie" stitched on the sleeve. "This is yours, I believe." He smiled at her as she took it and held it close.

"Jessie," he spoke softly, "I love you. I know I should have told you before. I love you and I want you to be a part of my life; I want you to be mine. That is, if you want to be."

She closed her eyes and sighed deeply, hardly believing what she was hearing. When she opened them, she was smiling. "Yes, Sebastian. I do want to be yours. I don't know how you will ever put up with me, but I love you too, and I want you to be the one I share my days and nights with.   I love you with all of my heart."

With a groan of relief, Sebastian covered her mouth with his and started the time honored ritual of seduction, his lips and hands touching every inch of her body; igniting a fire that must surely rival the heat of the sun as she gave herself to him in every way. Loving the feel of him, the very essence of him, as he caressed and pleasured her as no one ever had. She showered him with her love, laying her heart out there for him to hold and protect; the things he had wanted from the moment they met.

 


	6. EPILOGUE

 

Mission accomplished. Two weeks later Jessie moved from her 'house of horrors'; Seb's words, not hers; into his apartment. For the next two days, he followed along behind her and helped where needed as she re-arranged everything; every piece of furniture, every rug, every book on the shelves, except the one shelf that was designated as his. The result was artistic and pleasing to the eye and comfortable at the same time...he loved it. He felt like this was a new beginning and found that the tiredness and sense of being constantly surrounded and trapped by hordes of fans grew less and less as Jessie made everything new and fun again.

A few weeks after she was settled in, the first set of photos they had done were published in several different magazines to rave reviews. In-Focus magazine immediately offered her a huge raise and a full time position. She accepted their offer, signing a one year deal. Seb told her she could have gone somewhere else and gotten much more, but she reasoned that she had to show a little loyalty, since they were the first place to take her work seriously.

Three months later, the other set of photos were released and Seb's fans went wild. They copied and shared them endlessly on social media. And of course, the most popular were the 'vampire' poses, especially the final shot. It **was** an amazing photo... and it made Jessie a LOT of money as several agencies saw her work with Sebastian and wanted her to do projects for them as well.

At Sebastian's request, Jessie had an 8x10 print made of that photo...  which he had framed and then set in on the fireplace mantel. When she asked him why, he smiled and told her, "Because, THAT was the moment that we admitted to ourselves how we felt about each other and I want to be reminded of how amazing that moment was, every single day."

"I love you Stan, Sebastian Stan." Jessie put her arms around his neck.

"I love you too Sunshine. Forever," he answered; his kiss full of promise for their future.

 

The End...


End file.
